Of a good fam­i­ly in Da­mas­cus, John was ed­u­cat­ed by the el­der Cos­mas, along with his fos­ter bro­ther, Cos­mas the Mel­o­dist. He held some of­fice un­der the Ca­liph, and lat­er re­tired to the lau­ra of St. Sa­bas, near Je­ru­sa­lem, along his fos­ter bro­ther. There he wrote his the­o­lo­gi­cal works and hymns, and was or­dained a priest of the church of Je­ru­sa­lem late in life. His en­e­mies called him Man­sur, for rea­sons un­known. His three ora­tions in favor of icons earned him the so­bri­quets Chry­sor­rhous and The Doc­tor of Christ­ian Art. His works in­clude:

• Πηγη γνωασεως

Sources

Hymns

1. Δεῦτε πόμα πίωμεν
   • Come, and Let Us Drink of That New River
2. Αισωμεν πάντες Λαοί
   • Come, Ye Faithful, Raise the Strain
3. Αναστασεως ημερα
   • Day of Resurrection, The
4. Κατήλθες έν τοίς κατωτάτοις
   • Into the Dim Earth’s Lowest Parts Descending
5. Ορθρισωμεν ορθρου βαθεος
   • Let Us Rise in Early Morn­ing
6. Ποία τοῦ βίού τρυϕὴ διαμένει λύπης ἀμέτοχος
   • What Sweet of Life Endureth?
7. Τας εδρας τας αιωνιας
   • Those Eternal Bowers
8. Αὕτη ἥ κλητή κλητή καὶ ἁγία ἡμέρα
   • Thou Hallowed Chosen Morn of Praise